I have considered getting Massachusetts Avenue tattooed onto my forearm–although that tattoo would run from my wrist and clear to my shoulder and I’m not ready for that kind of commitment. Running from Southeast DC, briefly interrupted by the Anacostia River, passing through many a landmark and not slowed down by the most fearsome traffic circle in the city, Massachusetts Avenue dead-ends at Glen Echo, Maryland, at Goldsboro Road. In other words, Massachusetts keeps going even when you run out of DC: that’s is LONG. Though I have tried to explore alternative routes, Massachusetts Avenue connects me to important places, so take it I must.
Oh, Massachusetts. It’s long, alright. Route 50 graphic, via screen capture.
With all this talk of Massachusetts, I bet you’re asking yourself, “Where does my state/my street rank in terms of its gravitas or importance in the overall grid of the city?”
Maybe you’re not asking yourself that, but now you’re wondering if your home state is even represented in the city’s grid (They all are).
If so, where is it? (You can look at a map, but hey! You can take a bicycle ride with WABA and find them all yourself!)
Does a state-named road’s obscure location make it less important? For Bay State people, the location within DC is as inescapable as the traffic that crowds the avenue itself. Is New Mexico Avenue, tucked quietly near American University, less important? Or California STREET (…not even an avenue?!), somewhere in the ether? How are Hill streets represented? Luckily for you, my inquisitive friend, Michael Grass over at Route Fifty devised a ranking system for that exact purpose. Capitol Hill state streets are well represented at the top– as they should be. However, the exploration has a very interesting twist at the end, when you compare location with a state’s actual population. This may leave you with some very tough questions:
Should a state have a more prominent placement within the DC grid because it has a larger population? (Only if it’s California.)
Is a neighborhood awesome because it contains five out of the top twenty state/streets? (Yes.)
Either way, enjoy this Wednesday afternoon timesuck interesting article. You’re welcome 😉